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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24397744">Opening Doors Closes Others</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumiere_Noir/pseuds/Lumiere_Noir'>Lumiere_Noir</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>L.A. Noire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Hurt No Comfort, M/M, Smoking, other characters are not relevant, the end of the relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:48:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,051</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24397744</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumiere_Noir/pseuds/Lumiere_Noir</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There is obviously some history between Leary and Earle. Something that obviously affects the two men in very different ways. This is about how the two's emotions came to be so different from the same event.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Roy Earle/Gordon Leary</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Opening Doors Closes Others</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Some of y'all will recognize the beginning of this, if we be in the same LAN discord server. Others may not. Either way, this is the expanded version of my RP submission for a canon character within the server. Hope y'all enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Roy despised these charity events. He sipped his scotch as he contemplated why he was even here. He sure as hell didn't make enough money to donate. Someone had to be getting promoted tonight, or at least officially recognized for some shit or another. Sure, the person he went home to every night was here too, but it wasn’t like they could really be themselves here. This was a formal event with all of the bigwigs in the city, a good number of them being LAPD brass. No, the fact that the only person he was close to being here didn’t make it better in the slightest. </p>
<p>He headed out to find some air since he couldn't stand being in the political mess that was this party. He found an empty balcony and lit up a much-needed cigarette. All was quiet for a minute, and then he had been found. He heard the footsteps approaching yet Roy just focused on his smoke. After years of smoking two packs a day, rarely did it relieve the stress that it once did. Though tonight, he could feel the stress rolling off his shoulders. Roy just wanted to focus on that rather than starting up small talk with someone who was probably here to do the exact same thing, get out of the crowd and regain their equilibrium for a moment.</p>
<p>"Roy, they are calling everyone to take their seats." The red-headed man's tone was soft but it loud in the silence of the night. </p>
<p>Fuck, Roy thought as it was now extremely obvious that it was the exact opposite of someone who just came out for a breather. In fact, it was the very man that he had restrained himself from all night. He couldn’t be himself here, so he was trying to keep his distance to keep himself from doing something stupid. "Unless I'm being recognized for that damn bullet I took last week for the chief, I prefer to be out here, Lieutenant." He took a long drag before counteracting his statement. "Actually, I prefer to be out here even if I was getting recognized. Press wasn't allowed in." Okay, so that was a lie. He wanted to be in there, with him. Just, not like this. No, this was too formal for that. </p>
<p>Leary approached Roy slowly. He knew that the man wasn't getting any recognition for the events of last week. It didn't even make the papers. He continued anyways on anyways, "We all know this party isn't for you. You only got invited because I wanted you to be here tonight. You're my plus one." Gordon wasn't going to say that this was his big promotion to Captain. He wanted Roy to be there because he wanted to be with him. Not for some promotion, not for some press. No. This was the closest thing they will ever get to having a real date, out and around other people. Even if they couldn’t touch each other, he wanted the company. </p>
<p>Roy took one last hit of his cigarette before putting it out and flicking the butt off the balcony. “That probably the smartest move you’ve ever made, Gordon.” The Blonde sighed, staring off into the night for a minute before looking over at the man himself. “However, I do appreciate the sentiment. I guess since you risked so much already, I’ll go in so it doesn’t raise any more eyebrows for you.”</p>
<p>Gordon was able to play off inviting Roy Earle as his plus one tonight after stating every official reason why the man was essential to his upcoming promotion. The brass took it without any more question or hesitation. Having Roy available to take a bow, if the chance was given for Gordon to make any sort of official comment at all, would make everything seamless. Yet, Gordon wasn’t quite happy with the win. Roy was going in to keep suspicion down on their relationship, not because Gordon asked him to come in. He sighed as he walked away. “I’ll see you in there, then.”</p>
<p>Roy looked down, a frown on his face. He knew he screwed up, but he didn’t know quite how he did the damage. He wanted to go in with him, but he knew that it wouldn’t make it better. They had their system established. Gordon goes into work and Roy stays out to have a smoke before coming in some minutes behind. He did as he was supposed to, turning back around and leaning against the balcony wall, and lighting up another smoke before going in. He only ended up taking up two long hits before it smoldered at the butt, but Roy could only blame himself. He was distracted.</p>
<p>He flicked the butt away before going back in to take his seat. The timing couldn’t have been any better as it seemed that all of the fancy talk just ended, if the Mayor taking his seat meant anything. Roy went over and sat with the rest of the LAPD lower brass: Donnelly on his right, McKelty, a few other Lieutenants and Captains and their wives, and Gordon directly on his left. He was definitely out of place as the only detective, however he continued to hold his head up in a self-righteous manor to make everything have a sliver of normalcy. </p>
<p>Just as Roy had gotten comfortable, the Chief got up to the podium. This was his first time at a charity event, but he was sure that this wasn’t quite the norm for such a setting. The faces of the others at the table confirmed his suspicions along with a quick attention-grabbing touch on his left leg by none other than the red-headed man himself. Shit, Roy thought with what was a sure to be a look on his face that said the exact same thing, this is a promotion. Gordon’s promotion.  </p>
<p>Leary was called up on stage after a long bout of his accomplishments were listed out to the present company. The Chief gave him his new insignia pin and a handshake before ushering the newly promoted man off stage once more. Gordon could only smile but he was upset that he couldn’t recognize the help from the only detective in the room. He glanced at his mate, who smiled and was clapping along with the crowd. Yet something told him that it was only keep the heat off them. </p>
<p>Roy was just clapping along though, as it was all he could handle to do without completely outing himself and Leary as queers. He was happy for him, getting the promotion. If anyone in the hell hole called the LAPD deserved a promotion, it was a Leary. Well him too, he did take a damn bullet for the man still up at the podium. Other than that, Gordon was the one who really deserved a promotion in all this crap. That didn’t help the other side of his feelings though. Roy was pissed about what it meant though. The only open Captain’s position was at central station all the way across the city from Hollywood station. </p>
<p>One of his favorite things about the two of them was they both worked out of Hollywood Station. They got to see each other pretty much any time they wanted. Now Gordon was going to be on the other side of town and he would be lucky to see him after a long day at work. His other half, hell his better half, was probably going to end up moving down that way too. And after having replayed the events of this night up until right now, it seemed like Gordon knew all of this already. </p>
<p>Gordon going all the way over to Central to lead Traffic killed him a bit on the inside, but he kept his smile on through the night. Hell, he even placed the winning bid on a brand new Cadillac convertible. Nothing helped him push his feelings away more then spending money. Well that, and hopefully it would ease the tense trip home. It would definitely shorten it as the pair had walked there together.</p>
<p>At the end of the night, Roy gotten in the brand new Cadillac, throwing a bottle of champagne he took from the event, waiting for Leary to get in. The man was hesitant at first, though mainly from this riff in their relationship was, but got in anyways. They both stared quietly into the night as Roy drove them towards Gordon’s apartment. It wasn’t too far away, but it was still a distance to walk after a long night of standing around drinking. Somewhat expectedly for Roy, he pulled into a small and reclusive park that is typically known to be a lover’s lane within spitting distance of Leary’s home.</p>
<p>“Roy, come on. We are leaving one of the most prestigious charity events this city has to offer in a very noteworthy car and the first thing you think to do is to pull off into a lover’s lane?” Gordon wouldn’t have normally called Roy out on these kinds of antics but hell, they could have been easily spotted. </p>
<p>“I might be queer and stupid, but I’m not flat out dumb. I didn’t pull over for any of that. I pulled over so we can talk.” Roy paused as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it, “You knew you were getting promoted.”</p>
<p>“Oh, Mister leave me alone finally wants to talk? Yeah, I knew about my promotion. I didn’t tell you because I wanted you to want to spend time with me. Not for any event but to just be with me for an evening.”</p>
<p>Roy took a drag of the smoke between his fingers, “It’s hard to be around you when I can’t be the fucking queer that wants you to begin with. Right now, though, that isn’t our biggest issue. You know what that promotion means, and you still didn’t say a thing. You’re going to central station, Gordon. That may very just well be New York or Chicago. Do you know how rarely I see anyone stationed there? I have meetings with Bugsy and Mickey more often than I see the dicks down there.”</p>
<p>Gordon sighed, knowing he fucked up. It was far enough and L.A. traffic between the two stations didn’t help matters either.  He regained his firm stance in their argument though and pressed forward. “It’s not that bad, Roy. We can still make it work.” </p>
<p>It was that slight bit of hope that shone through their conversation that made Roy throw his cigarette out of the car and pull the red-head in for a deep kiss. He even threw the man’s blue hat in the back seat with the bottle of champagne as he neared the point of possessiveness. It was only as he reached that point that he realized that the feeling didn’t show in himself as it once did and that was when he broke off the intense kiss between them. It would be their last, he realized when he figured out he had already started letting go back at the charity event.</p>
<p>“No, we can’t. We can’t because I can’t. We won’t be able to be around as much as I need and I can’t do that. This works because we work together and see each other all the time. You’re going to central…” he paused just long enough to put distance between the two of them, “Well, like I said. We would be lucky to see each other once a month.”</p>
<p>“I’m willing to make an effort to make it work, Roy. Aren’t you?”</p>
<p>Roy couldn’t bring out the words to tell him, so he only shook his head. </p>
<p>Gordon looked at the sadness that shone in Roy’s eyes. Anyone else would say it was arrogance, but he knew the blonde better than that. Well at least he thought he did, because the Roy he knew would have at least attempted to stay with him. With nothing more than the slightest sniffle, Gordon got out of the Cadillac and walked home without another word or even looking back. He never noticed Roy staring at him as he walked away. He never noticed the look of true sorrow on the other’s face.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading and I'm telling you all now that all comments, critiques, and criticisms are highly appreciated. For any of my returning readers, I promise I will get back to Deservingness soon. I just had to stretch my fingers.</p>
<p>Again. Thanks.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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